So week one started with a telling moment when like a fateful messenger from the sky e-bay delivered my second hand tri top with the seller's 'close fitting' description being worryingly spot on, perhaps I've made a mistake here....
Having signed up for the London Triathlon back in January I have so far been trying to put any serious training out of my mind, concentrating instead of doing bits and pieces here and there where it suits me, and as is almost unavoidable, favouring my strongest discipline. However those days of self flattering training are now over and it's down to the serious following of a rigorous three month plan.
As a bit of background to this blog I have always been a keen biker, predominantly mountain but more recently on the road as well. Back in October I bought Jessica (Trek 1.9) and can honestly say that it is the best thing I have ever bought, ever. Similarly I have always been a regular runner, enjoying the stress busting side of it as opposed to being super-competitive. Swimming is by far my weakest discipline and although I was once pretty decent, more than ten years ago mind, I have found that unlike falling off a bike it is actually quite easy to forget.
I have started my training 1 week early to give myself a few days lee-way should anything go badly wrong like swallowing too much chlorine, crashing my bike or more likely slipping over embarassingly at work and injuring something. I am also very aware from reading numerous other triathlon and running blogs along with having a full time job and getting married in early September that in the real world six days and fifteen hours a week training for a sustained period of time is nigh on impossible so it is with an open mind that I'm taking this on, and am quite happy being realistic ie. sacking off that extra Sunday workout. I thought if I kept track of my progress it may provide that extra stimulus.
Coming into week one I had just returned from three days walking in the Cotswolds and having clocked up 65 miles over 3 days my body was shall we say fairly sore and rather embarassingly I gave day one a miss. Not a the start I envisaged. Next up was a run and being a beautfiul evening Highgate woods provided the perfect backdrop for an easy cruise to some of my favourite tunes, followed the next evening by 55 mins on the bike in the gym where I sweated my body weight in liquid whilst watching two Andy Murray's in the making thrash it out on the tennis court next door. Things were going well and on day three I surprised even myself by making it to the pool just after 8am. I did my 'required' 6 x 200m with 40 second rest between sets but struggled to 'note difference between time versus effort'. Counting the lengths, trying to remember how to swim, breathing correctly and trying to stay out of the way of the resident 'nutter' ploughing up and down the middle of my lane sort of put this second on my priority list but I suppose could be summed up by "arms killed about half way through and was soon knackered".
So three days back to back isn't bad for week one and I was allowed a rest apparently, which I duly took and enjoyed a Friday night in front of the tv and Have I Got News For You. I guess on Saturday I made a classic rookie error by scrapping the 60-90 mins smooth cycling and bashing out a 54 mile round trip because it was such a lovely day. Mental note to self though, avoid South Mimms roundabout where m25, A1 and my tiny hidden back road all meet in a four lane anti spd-pedal hellish nightmare. Continuing in the rookie ways I went out that night for just a few beers, and Mojitos and got home at 3am. No No No. No training Sunday.
More to follow.....
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